On Saturday 15th February, CDI hosted Kasia Lanucha, an Intercultural Communication teacher and coach, to deliver a workshop to our volunteers for their second training session. A huge thank-you must go to Kasia for coming in to deliver this session, we are very appreciative for her time.
The session provided volunteers with a wonderful opportunity to discuss some of the best ways to ensure our work abroad is productive. We learnt how to collaborate effectively in multi-cultural and internationally diverse teams. A particular highlight was discussing the ways in which professional working cultures across the globe differ, and therefore how the means of interaction might alter — even the ways that we write emails might need adapting!
Next we covered the topic of stereotyping vs. generalizations – Kasia asked us to brainstorm some of the best ways to adapt to new working environments, with a focus on tackling stereotypes.
The session helped our volunteers to develop skills which will be vital for the work they’ll carry-out in Tanzania: self-awareness, open-mindedness and cultural humility. When CDI’s project work begins this summer, our volunteers will be able to hit the ground running! In an increasingly globalised world, learning how to collaborate and communicate across cultures is a crucial skill, a skill which businesses and organisations such as our own will need to master in order thrive internationally.
By Emma Tinn – Volunteer Training Officer 2019/20
Emma is a French and History 2nd year student at Newnham College.
Cambridge Development Initiative 